Aston Villa: Diego Carlos may solve defensive woes as injury news emerges
Aston Villa have received another boost amid their defensive injury crisis as Diego Carlos returned to first-team training after his recovery, according to Jacob Tanswell.
The Athletic journalist reported via his X account on 5 March that Carlos, alongside fellow absentee Jhon Duran, had returned to training this week.
This comes after it was reported on 14 February that the Brazilian had suffered a hamstring injury in training, causing plenty of concern about the possible length of his absence.
In their last four games, Villa have conceded six goals, and have kept just one clean sheet in their last six league games.
Positive Diego Carlos injury news emerges at Aston Villa
Villa had been in the midst of a defensive injury crisis lately, but with Ezri Konsa having returned to action in recent weeks after suffering an injury blow around the same time as his teammate, and now the emergence of Carlos, their depth is looking much stronger.
Before his injury, Carlos had begun to play a key part in Unai Emery’s team. The defender put on somewhat of a masterclass despite the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United as he made three interceptions, two blocks and one clearance, also competing in six duels. [Sofascore]
In the defeat to Chelsea, he was dependable at the back again despite the whole team struggling as he made six clearances, one block and one tackle, winning four of his six aerial duels and completing a 91 per cent passing accuracy.
That passing, and range of passing, was also on display in the 5-0 victory against Sheffield United, when Carlos had a staggering 123 touches of the ball, completing 108 of 116 attempted passes at a success rate of 93 per cent, including 14 long passes to switch the play.
An average of 2.8 clearances and 3.4 ball recoveries per game has seen the defender excel, while a total of 2.2 duels won per game and only three yellow cards against him all season are a display of his style of play in this Villa side. [Sofascore]
With the return of Carlos to full training, Villa’s season may well be back on track, with somewhat of a defensive crisis eased by the returning players.
In other Aston Villa news, a new Premier League PSR update has emerged.
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